Jay Mader focuses on employment and business litigation. His employment law practice includes cases involving discrimination, harassment, and retaliation with allegations relating to age, gender, race, and disability, as well as whistleblower claims. He also handles wage and hour and FMLA litigation. Jay’s experience in business litigation includes cases involving breach of contract and fiduciary duty, fraud and misrepresentation, consumer protection, and other business disputes.

He joined Arnett, Draper & Hagood in 2002 and became a partner in 2005. He is licensed in the state of Tennessee and is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association and American Bar Association. He is admitted to practice in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the United States District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Tennessee, and all Tennessee trial and appellate courts.

He received his B.A. from the University of Tennessee in 1989 and his J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1993.

Jay is also a member of the Hamilton Burnett American Inn of Court as a Master of the Bench, and currently serves on the Inn’s Executive Committee. He further is a Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator.

Jay has an AV preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubble and has been listed in Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of Employment Law, Management and Litigation, and Labor and Employment since 2018.

Selected Experience:

• Lead counsel in two week jury trial in U.S. District Court resulting in verdict for breach of contract, promissory estoppel, Tennessee Consumer Protection Act
• Directed verdict on behalf of international company during jury trial of ADEA claims
• Jury trial defending FMLA retaliation and interference claim in U.S. District Court
• Trial to verdict in Chancery Court bench trials involving business and discrimination claims
• Briefed and argued cases before Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and Tennessee Court of Appeals in employment and business disputes
• Transactional work involving sale of division, resort development, and general contract and business counseling

Complex Litigation Involving:

• Defense of administrative charges and proceedings involving EEOC, U.S. DOL, and THRC
• Obtaining summary judgement in discrimination cases involving age discrimination, retaliation, breach of contract, false light, intentional interference, and construction defects
• Lead counsel in complex employment, business, insurance coverage, and construction defect litigation